Episode 149: Guiding Education with Sheena O'Connell

Episode 149: Guiding Education with Sheena O'Connell

Description In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Sheena O'Connell, an educator and developer from South Africa who has been making waves in the Python education community. Sheena shares her journey from electrical engineering to founding Prelude, where she runs advanced Django learning sprints and teamwork training courses. We explore the critical importance of soft skills in technical education, diving into Google's Project Aristotle and the five key factors that make teams effective: psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact. Sheena provides fascinating insights into how cultural concepts like Ubuntu ("I am because we are") influence collaborative learning and professional development. The conversation covers practical strategies for teaching both technical and soft skills to adult learners, the challenges of helping students transition from learning to professional environments, and how to build psychologically safe spaces that promote growth and learning. We also discuss upcoming events including Django Con Africa in Tanzania and PyCon Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa, which Sheena is chairing. Whether you're an educator, team leader, or developer interested in fostering better collaborative environments, this episode offers valuable insights into the intersection of technical education, cultural awareness, and team dynamics. Key Topics Discussed Transitioning from technical roles to education Building effective coding bootcamps and adult learning programs The importance of soft skills in technical careers Google's Project Aristotle and team effectiveness Psychological safety and stereotype threat Cultural influences on learning and teamwork (Ubuntu philosophy) Managing the "desperation mindset" in learning environments Professional development and career transitions PyCon Africa and Django Con Africa Cross-cultural team dynamics and communication Guests Sheena O'Connell - Founder of Prelude, former educator at Umuzi, and chair of PyCon Africa 2025 Resources Mentioned Google's Project Aristotle (https://rework.withgoogle.com/en/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness) The Culture Map (book on cultural differences in teams) Prelude Tech (https://prelude.tech) - Sheena's platform for Django courses and teamwork training PyCon Africa 2025 (Johannesburg, South Africa) Django Con Africa (Arusha, Tanzania) Ubuntu philosophy Umuzi (South African coding bootcamp) Connect with Sheena Personal blog: sheenaoc.com (https://sheenaoc.com) Courses and training: Prelude TV PyCon Africa 2025: October, Johannesburg, South Africa Wins and Fails of the Week Sheena Win: Successfully running a teamwork course for Canonical with an international team Fail: All her plants fell onto the couch (and the subsequent cleanup) Kelly Win: Attending ISTE conference in San Antonio, meeting previous podcast guests, and co-hosting a presentation Fail: Losing momentum on Anthony Shaw's GitHub course due to summer break Sean Win: Being interviewed by media about AI coding tools and AWS Amazon Q Fail: Home server power supply failure during a lightning storm, breaking all home automations Episode Notes This episode provides valuable insights for educators at all levels, from K-12 teachers to corporate trainers. The discussion of soft skills, cultural awareness, and team dynamics offers practical strategies that can be applied in classrooms, coding bootcamps, and professional development settings. The conversation highlights how technical education must go beyond coding skills to prepare students for successful careers, emphasizing the importance of communication, collaboration, and cultural competency in today's global technology landscape. Special Guest: Sheena O'Connell.

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Episode 23: Being Reflective: A Year of Learning, Teaching, and Python

Episode 23: Being Reflective: A Year of Learning, Teaching, and Python

Kelly and Sean both agree that reflecting on your teaching is vital for our growth as educators and learners. In this episode, they take a few moments to reflect on their year, their lessons, their learning, and their progress. “ Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous.”-Confucius

20 Juni 201938min

Episode 22: Talking About Teaching With Meg Ray

Episode 22: Talking About Teaching With Meg Ray

In this episode, Kelly and Sean talk to freelance educational consultant Meg Ray. She was the founding Teacher in Residence at Cornell Tech (https://tech.cornell.edu/impact/k-12/) where she was responsible for the implementation and design of a coaching program for K-8 CS teachers in New York City schools. An experienced middle and high school computer science teacher and special educator, Meg directed the design of the Codesters (https://www.codesters.com) Python curricula for middle school students and served as a writer for the Computer Science Teachers’ Association K-12 CS Standards and as a special advisor to the K12 CS Framework. She lives in New York. Special Guest: Meg Ray.

20 Juni 201951min

Episode 21: Agriculture and AI with FarmFemmes

Episode 21: Agriculture and AI with FarmFemmes

In this episode, Sean and Kelly chat with Karen Hildebrand and Teresa Vallotton from FarmFemmes. These two ladies are using technology to inspire the next generation of farmers. By offering one-day tech camps, and hosting international students, Karen and Teresa hope to bring a new life and meaning to an agricultural career. Their hope is to bring their “technical knowledge and a relateable voice to showcase the unique ways women can contribute to agriculture in the 21st century.” Dr. Karen Hildebrand has a PhD in Information Systems specializing in Data Mining, but we just call her Karen. Teresa coached K-12 teachers, taught high school math and was chosen as Sioux Falls, SD Teacher of the Year. Special Guests: Karen Hildebrand and Teresa Vallotton.

28 Maj 201936min

Episode 20: Building Your Python PLN (Personal Learning Network)

Episode 20: Building Your Python PLN (Personal Learning Network)

In this episode, Sean and Kelly discuss the importance of having a Personal Learning Network or PLN, why we use it, and how to develop one for your computer science teaching with Python.

18 Maj 201920min

Episode 19: No Longer PyCon Newbies

Episode 19: No Longer PyCon Newbies

This week, Kelly and Sean attended their first ever PyCon in Cleveland, Ohio. Before we flew home, we recorded our thoughts and reflections on this amazing experience. We also interviewed educator attendees from places like the US Coast Guard Academy, Stanford University, and the American Museum of Natural History. Join us as we reflect on all the amazing people we've met and things we've seen at #PyCon2019. Special Guest: Gabrielle Rabinowitz.

5 Maj 201938min

Episode 18: Mini-Episode: Pre-PyCon Top 5

Episode 18: Mini-Episode: Pre-PyCon Top 5

Kelly and Sean are headed to their first PyCon next week. In this special mini-episode, they discuss their Top 5 things that they're looking forward to at the conference. Are you going? Want to meet up with us? Send us a tweet!

24 Apr 20198min

Episode 17: Abstraction and Analytical Thinking

Episode 17: Abstraction and Analytical Thinking

Kelly and Sean get motivation from Michael Kennedy’s (https://twitter.com/mkennedy) Talk Python to Me (https://talkpython.fm) podcast episode Beginners and Experts (https://talkpython.fm/episodes/show/203/beginners-and-experts-in-software-development). Where Michaels and the panelists discuss, how do you go about attacking a problem? In this episode, Kelly and Sean digest abstraction and analytical thinking in the school setting and how computational thinking plays a part in all this. They discuss the activities that are used to help promote these skills.

22 Apr 201947min

Episode 16: When Philosophy and Python COLLIDE! - Part 2

Episode 16: When Philosophy and Python COLLIDE! - Part 2

Sean and Kelly continue their conversation about the philosophy and ethics of machine learning and artificial intelligence in Python. This episode focuses more on resources and tools for AI learning after last episode's focus on philosophy and ethics.

2 Apr 201944min

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